Distromat (noun) dis-stro-MAT
A self penned name for a coin operated vending machine which sells zines. The word references zine “distros” and a coin operated “automat”.
DISTRO
The term “distro” began to be used widely to refer to a zine distributor in the 1990s. The word evolved as a response to the emergence of numerous small-scale, DIY distributors, or “distros,” often run by individuals out of their homes, to circulate zines via mail or at events.
These distros were vital for community building, distribution and visibility of the work of zine creators (zinesters)
Papecut Zine Library Image credit: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
AUTOMAT
The term “automat” was first used in American English in the early years of 1900. It refers to an “automated cafeteria” or “waiterless restaurant”. The first of these establishments in america was the Horn & Hardart Automat in Philadelphia in 1902 . The concept had originated in Berlin in 1895 . In German usage the word “automat” commonly refers to any type of coin-operated dispensing apparatus.
1930’s Publicity postcard for Horn & Hardart Automat : Public Domain , Source:WikiCommons